E-ISSN 2281-4612
ISSN 2281-3993
Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies
MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy
Vol 3 No 4
July 2014
Sociolinguistic Engineering in A Globalised Economy
James I. Udaa
Olaoluwa Duro-Bello
Department of English and Literary Studies, Federal University Lokoja – Nigeria
Doi:10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n4p425
1. Introduction
The fact that the world today is becoming a “global village” cannot be overemphasised. Geographical boundaries do not
seem to be a hindrance to human interaction. The world seems deterritorialised and decompartmentalised. Can this
phenomenal social intercourse be enhanced by linguistic factors? Which language plays what role in this global arena
and what is the effect of this phenomenon on global economy? Answers to these questions and more are attempted in
this paper.
2. Globalisation
Globalisation, according to Friday-Otun (219), has become a process (or sets of processes) filtering into all domains of
human experience - linguistic, social, cultural or economic. Thus, events in distant places simultaneously affect local
affairs in different locations. Furthermore, Otun posits that “Language as a social dynamic is the nerve centre of all
personal, interpersonal and transnational communication”.
According to Jan Art Scolte (quoted by Otun, 220), “globalization” in political and academic sphere is a broad
spectrum of separate political, economic, social and cultural phenomenon. Political scientists describe globalisation as
the highest form of capitalism or exploitation in various forms from colonialism to neo-colonialism and to globalisation. It is
a technique by the West to capture and manoeuvre developing nations through opening up “free markets” (liberal
economy), information technology or “internet revolution” and the emergence of a unified community where the causes of
social upheavals would disappear.
The combination of linguistic engineering and marketing knowledge is required for what has been observed as “a
broadening, deepening and speeding up of world-wide interconnectedness in all aspects of life” (Tom-Linson, 9 [quoted in
Otun, 223]). This implies that linguistic developments at local levels in different parts of the world has global
consequences, and the blurring or “annihilation” of boundaries between issues of domestic and global linguistic
knowledge. This knowledge or linguistic association across the globe benefits from the spread of accelerated social
activity through high-speed mobility of human and material resources across the world.
3. Sociolinguistic Engineering
The most obvious definition of sociolinguistics is that it is the study of language in the society (Llamas, 150; Hudson, 1;
Wardhaugh, 13). There is a social and contextual dimension to every naturally occurring use of language, and it is always
these social factors that determine the choice and form of what is written or said or understood. Llaman and Stockwell
(150) posit that a more complex definition of sociolinguistics is needed. To them therefore Sociolinguistics is the study of
linguistic indicators of culture and power. This allows us to focus on language but at the same time emphasize the social
force of language events in the world. This also allows us to use the tools of linguistics to see the influence of ethnicity,
gender, ideology and social rank on language events. Above all, this definition allows sociolinguistics to be descriptive of
pieces of language in the world, whilst encouraging us to recognise that we are all included in that world too. Thus,
sociolinguists have a special responsibility to use their privileged knowledge to influence the direction of government
language policies, educational practices and media representation around the globe.
Capo (1) defines language engineering as that domain of applied linguistics concerned with the design and
implementation of strategies (i.e. the conscious and deliberate steps) towards the rehabilitation and optimal utilisation of
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E-ISSN 2281-4612
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Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies
MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy
Vol 3 No 4
July 2014
individual languages. In fact, it is a mechanism of language planning that recognises problems and proceeds to
“engineer” solutions to such problems: codification, standardisation, modernisation, development, etc. Capo concludes
that “language engineering is a continuing and dialectic process including orthography design, corpus planning, materials
development, encouraging of language use at all levels to account for and communicate the changing experience of the
speakers as well as all aspects of human legacy called knowledge.
Akindele and Adegbite (74) also describe language planning as “a set of deliberate activities systematically
designed to select from, organise and develop the language resources of a community in order to enhance the utilisation
of such resources for development”. They further state that the goal of language planning is national development
perceived in terms of political, socio-economic, educational, scientific, technological, literacy as well as language
development. This idea is however limited to particular nations, making it difficult to apply to the international community.
Since the world is rapidly changing, the languages of the world have to change functionally and structurally to reflect
these changes which are political, social, economic, educational and technological. In Nigeria, for instance, upon the
attainment of independence, agitations based on nationalistic ideas tend to result in the promotion, utilisation and
development of indigenous languages which had hitherto been neglected officially. The break away from regional
government to the creation of states and local governments made the administration become more and more
decentralised. Thus, more and more languages have become recognised and are assigned functions to perform at
different levels of government.
There is no certainty as to any global convention that made the English Language a world language.
Internationalism, which came via imperial and colonial activities, and linguistic assimilation lend credence to this.
Linguistic assimilation is the belief that everyone, regardless of origin, should learn the dominant language of the society.
For example, French in France (and her colonies), English in the USA and Britain (and their colonies) and Russia in the
former Soviet Union (Akindele and Adegbite, 76). Internationalism, on the other hand, is the adoption of a non-indigenous
language of wider communication either as an official language or such purposes as education or trade. For example,
English in Singapore, India, the Philipines, Papau New Guinea and Nigeria.
Sociolinguistic engineering in a global context could be seen as the process of assigning given roles or functions to
existing standard languages to forge social or socio-economic cohesion. Assigning roles to languages in the global
setting is not only difficult but a very complex issue. Power, both political and economic, takes the centre stage. This is
however without effects on the global economy. One state or a limited number of states would certainly benefit more than
a vast majority of other states.
4. Effects of Sociolinguistic Engineering in A Globalised Economy
As stated earlier, the English language exerts a great deal of dominance in world affairs. Today, the English language
has attained the status and nomenclature of an international language. Who is to blame? Is this a curse or a blessing?
Quirk et al (2) posit that English is the world’s most important language. They make this assertion on the basis of
four criteria considered as “objective standards of relative importance” for any language to be accorded such status. First
is the number of native speakers that language happens to have. Second is the extent to which the language is
geographically dispersed (i.e. in how many continents and countries is it used or is knowledge of it necessary?). Third is
the ‘vehicular load’ (i.e. to what extent is it a medium for science or literature or other highly accorded cultural
manifestation –including ‘way of life’?) and fourth is the economic and political influence of those who speak it as ‘their
own’ language.
None of these, they say, is trivial but that not all would unambiguously identify English. The first criterion would
make English very poor, second to Chinese with double the number of its speakers. The second makes English a front
runner but invites consideration of Hebrew, Latin and Arabic as languages used in major world religions. By the third,
(aside being the language of great literatures of the Orient and of analogous Shakespeare), English scores as being the
primary medium for twentieth century science and technology. The fourth criterion invokes Japanese, Chinese, Russian
and German as languages of powerful, productive and influential communities. But English is the language of the United
States which has a larger ‘Gross National Product’ (both in total and in relation to the population) than any other country
in the world. The combined GNP of the USA, Canada and Britain according to Quirk et al, is 50 per cent higher than that
of the remaining OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries (i.e. Continental Europe
plus Japan). This position has not radically changed today (see work cited for website).
Quirk et al argue that what emerges strikingly about English is that by any of the criteria it is prominent, by some, it
is pre-eminent, and by a combination of the four, it is superlatively outstanding. Thus, it has been rightly said – they
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assert – that the choice of an international language, or lingua franca, is never based on linguistic or aesthetic criteria but
always on political, economic and demographic ones (Quirk et al, 3). English is one of the two ‘working’ languages of the
United Nations and of the two, it is by far the more frequently used both in debate and in general conduct of UN business.
With the above status ascribed the English language notwithstanding, it has excluded a great number of the world
population from global affairs. In Nigeria, for instance, a good majority of the population is excluded from national as well
as international affairs. Oyelaran asserts that, “language is being used by the minority of commissioned agents to exclude
the vast majority of Nigerians from participating in the affairs of the nation and therefore, from liberating themselves.” The
1979 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, unabrogated, does not recognise the right of the individual Nigerian
to receive information in a language of his choice other than the English language except when he is alleged to be a
criminal. Oyelaran says:
…until such an occasion arises, he is proscribed from expressing his own opinion about the laws or the process of making
the laws under which he is governed, or the one under which he is being arrested unless he practises the English
language. Even when arrested, he may just be informed in a language other than English about the nature of his offence
and not at all about the law which authorises his arrest (12).
The dire consequences of this are unimaginable. There are bound to be miscarriages of justice and entrenchment
of political powers in the hands of the few who manage to gain control of the language. For instance, a satirical comedy
on the NTA (Nigeria Television Authority) in the mid-1980s “Nchokwu” portrayed such miscarriage of justice causing
many serious economic losses. Nchokwu worked as an interpreter for the Whiteman in the colonial era, and made very
costly errors in his translations. Nigeria is only a microcosm of what is obtained worldwide.
Linguistic pluralism is a global phenomenon. The recognition of more than one language (or code) is not without
attendant effects. According to Levine (2001), reaching Chinese market is no longer an adventurous dream for U.S. firms
as China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) integrates her into the global economy. Naming brands and
having brand names translated into culturally heterogeneous and linguistically diverse consumers drive the global
marketplace. In China, naming and translating a brand is more than assigning a symbol with pleasant sound, or giving the
product a unique identity distinguishable from others. A brand name as a sociolinguistic symbol carries cultural meanings
and sets boundaries on relationship building. For example, the sound “P&G” can have vulgar meanings in Chinese
(expulsion of intestinal gas), but in the U.S. market it stands for Procter and Gamble Company. It was a problem when
this multinational company entered China.
Again, despite the dominance of English in the United States, it has always been a complex multilingual history.
John Baugh (1) explains that in a global economy, the need to nurture, cultivate and manage multilingual resources within
the United States is more pronounced than ever. Immigrants continually experience the ever-changing linguistic tides, yet
yearn to share the American dream – a dream that exceeds their English fluency.
Given the global economy, some of this linguistic management is being addressed by market forces, as advertisers
and broadcasters strive to appeal to the ever growing number of non-English speakers who are U.S. residents; and
citizens are increasingly important consumers of goods and services. Even politicians have been keen on learning new
languages to demonstrate their empathy for non-English voters- votes that would significantly affect global policy. Some
employers, multinational corporations and diplomats now recognise the value of linguistic diversity, placing great value
upon the prospects of hiring bilingual or trilingual workers. Baugh cites one instance of the devastating effect of linguistic
mismanagement. He says emergency relief workers (fire fighters, ambulance drivers, and hospital attendants) bemoan
the fact that many human tragedies across the U.S. could be averted or diminished if it were not for communication gaps
between those in need of emergency services (who do not frequently speak English) and first responders who lack ready
access to vital linguistic translation. This is also applicable to many other parts of the world, including Nigeria. This too
has dire consequences for the global economy.
5. Conclusion
Issues of sociolinguistic engineering in a globalised economy are complex and varying. Language planning and choice in
global context is difficult giving the great multilingual diversity around the world. English seems to occupy the centre stage
of global linguistic affairs. This is not without attendant effects. Communities that use the English language must ensure
the effective grasp of it in teaching to enhance genuine social and socio-economic cooperation the world over.
It seems today that acquisition of English and one or two other languages avails better chances in multinational
corporations. Multinational corporations, diplomats, military leaders and entrepreneurs who serve clients from diverse
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backgrounds exemplify the vast array of social circumstances where effective language planning and linguistics are vital
assets. It is likely this state of affairs that a BBC documentary, Middle East Business Report, displays the use of Arabic
on the BBC Network for advertisement in the Middle East. Consequently, the report shows that multinational companies
would have to advertise and provide other pieces of information on the internet in Arabic to maintain being patronised.
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Hudson, R. A. Sociolinguistics. (2nd Edition): Cambridge University Press, 1990
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